Toy railroad signals



Feb. 16, 1960 J. @BGN/NNO 2,925,584

TOY RAILROAD SIGNALS Filed Oct. l0, 1955 mow w 45%, Z] INVENTOR Jim-PAM, 50AM/ww BY )Him ATTO R N EY lill The `present..invention relat'es-to :toy railroad :signals -and 'is' more lparticularly directed vtoward lsignalsof the "banjo type adapted 4for use in connection'with-ltoy railroads.

The present invention contemplates a banjo type signal havingswinging arm operated bya small electric motor and arranged to display or cover a signal lamp and to be operated tol alternately cover anddisplaythe lamp so as to give a flashingsignal resembling the signalgiven by vthe banjo signals usedin the-operation of full sized railroads.

The present invention .further eontemplates signal structure for thepurposesmadeout of a smallnumber yofiinexpensivepartsrand whereinthe-motor is one which requiresa very .smallHinputf-ofenergy to Aactuate 'the swinging arm. The signalischaracte'rized bythe'absence -v`of complicated .gear mechanism toleie'ct theLswinging of the arm from the rotor of the motor.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, one embodiment in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention, rather than limiting the same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembled signal;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the signal;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the signal with parts in section on the line 3 3 of Figure 4, to show interior construction;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the broken line 4 4 of Figure 3; y

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5 5 `of Figure 3;

Figures 6 and 7 are front and side elevational Iviews of the elastomeric washer employed to actuate the rotor; and

Figure 8 is a wiring diagram.

The signal employs a relatively heavy metal base 1i) which carries a tubular column 11. The base carries insulated and grounded terminals (not shown) for connecting the signal to extraneous wiring. At the top of the column 11 is a head or frame 12 in the form of a non-magnetizable die casting. This frame has a forwardly opening recess indicated at 13 in which is mounted an insulated terminal 14 connected to a, wire 15 which extends down through the column 1v1.

Above the lamp box forming recess 13 the frame 12 carries a laterally extending bracket 16 which terminates above and to they left of the left end of the lamp box, as is apparent from the drawings. The frame member 12 also has a downwardly extending portion 17 below the bracket. The extension 17 is connected with the lamp box by a cross member 18 and a brace 19 extends upwardly from the top of the lamp box.

` A cover member 2i) which may be made of insulating material as shown lits over the opening of the recess 13. It carries a contact member or lamp terminal 21 made of sheet metal and shaped to receive the base 22 United States Patente-f() f 2,925,584 Patented Feb. 16, 1960 of'a :lamp 23 whose bulbiis indicatedatzlt. Thelco'ntact :member or terminal l7.1 A:has Y notches .25 yto 'cooperate with thelpins V26 carried-by the larnp'base'and sharp,"pai`nt scratching-members 27'which 'scratch away enoug'hpaint -on the-inside of 'the lamp box or recess vto assure satisi factory`grounding Tof the-terminal 21.

The cover i has an'ges28 whi'ch iit :inside -the walls of the Alamp 'box-forming recess and Vaccurately `position the fcover 'with respect toitheframe or body v12. Thec'over has a window, indicated at`-29-opposite fthe-lamp bulb.

Whenthe lamp is-in position'its centerterminal 30 bears against the spring contacttocomplete thefcircuit for'the la-mp.

The motor mounting 1'7"-supports a vibratingtype motor indicated generally r'at M. Thismotor has a Vcoil 31 wound about a m'agnetizable core 32. This-'core-carries insulating end members 33 yand 34 forming a spool,

and is secured in place lby-a Y screw 35 threadedinto Ait from the -rear of the motor mounting r17. This screw 'passes through a magnetizable cup 36' and orienting washer 37 so that the spool-and the magnetizable cup may be securely heldin place.

The outer or front end ofthe lspool 'carries ra washer 38 made of elastomeric material and provided with a series of outwardly extending, Atangentially"leaning,oblique lingers 39. Thecore 3'2 is drilled as indicatedto receive a 'rotor shaft 40,'preferably made of bronze, and this shaft carries a cup 'shaped 'magnetizable'rotor i1-which extends back about the coil and in close Aproximity-"to vOne end of the winding `31is grounde'dand the other -end connected by a'wire 42'wi'th the terminal `ystriplii.

The rotor 41 can-ies a crank pin 43 adapted to enter the slot 44 of an arm 45 pivoted on a screw 46 threaded into the frame member 12 at 47.

When low voltage current is supplied to the circuit, the lamp is lighted and the coil 31 energized. The alternating current ilux set up in the magnetic circuit, including the core 32 and cups 36 and 41 causes the rotor 41 to vibrate back and forth, guided and supported by the shaft 40. This vibration effects an alternate compression and release of the lingers 39 on the member 3S and, as these lingers are shaped in the manner stated, the fingers will impart a turning movement to the rotor 41, causing it to revolve in the direction determined by the sloping of the lingers. Here the rotor 41 revolves in a clockwise direction, as indicated in Figure 3. As the rotor revolves it will cause the arm 45 to swing back and forth between the full line and dotted line positions of Figure 3 so as to cover and uncover the window and display and signal light or cut it oil".

This operation takes place as long as current is supplied to the signal. lt can be automatically set into operation by the passage of the train over a selected portion of the track, or by a manual switch, if desired.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these for-ms, and, various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a support, a motor secured to the support and comprising a magnet coil having a horizontal axis, a magnetizable core, a pole piece carried at one end of the coil having outwardly extending elastomeric, tangentially leaning, oblique fingers, and a magnetizable member rotatably carried by the core and having a wall bearing against the fingers, a lamp box carried by the support, a lamp in the box, the box having a window opposite the lamp, and an oscillating arm pivoted to the support and having an elongated slot, Aa pin on said magnetizable member conned in said slot, the free end of the arm being shiftable by the motor between posi tions where it covers or uncovers the window.

2. A toy railroad signalV comprising a metal base, an upwardly extending metal column, a metal head carried at the top of the column, the Lhead having a lamp box provided with a forwardly opening window, a lamp in the lamp box, the head having a bracket arm above the lamp box and extending laterally beyond the window, a motor secured to the head under the outer end of the bracket karm and having arotor turning on a horizontal axis, and -a swinging arm pivoted to the bracket arm above the motor and drivingly connected with the rotor to oscillate backend forth, once Vfor eachy turn of the rotor, the lower end of the swinging arm being moved to cover and uncover the window.

3. A-trackside signal for toy'railroads comprising a metal base, an upwardly extending metal column, a metal head carried by the column, the head having a lamp receiving recess, an insulated lamp socket terminal 'mounted in the recess, a recess cover having a second lamp socket terminal, a lamp bulb carried in one of the terminals and bearing against the other when the cover is in place, the cover having a window opposite the lamp bulb, the head having a bracket above the lamp box and lateral of the window and a motor mounting below the bracket, an arm pivoted on the bracket and having one end movable between positions where it covers and uncovers the window, and a motor 4secured to the motor mounting and having a rotor wtih a horizontal axis, and an eccentric connection with the arm to swing it back and forth.

4. Asignal comprising a base, a vertically elongated supporting member mounted on said base, a signal light mounted on the upper end of said supporting member, an

arm extendingoutwardly from .said supporting member above said signal light, a signal arm member pivotally mounted on the end of said arm, said signal member having an elongated slot defined therein extending in a direction radially outwardly from said pivot, a motor secured to said arm below the pivotal location of said signal member and having a rotor turning on a substantially horizontal axis, said rotor including a pin extending into the slot of said signal member to oscillate said signal member back and forth, said oscillation being such to bring said signal member to a position to cover said lamp Yat one end of its oscillation movement.

5. A signal according to claim 4 wherein said motor means includes a magnetizable core, resilient members extending outwardly from one end of said core, said members all being slanted in the same circumferential direction, and wherein said rotor includes a magnetizable member resting on said resilient members, and means to energize said magnetizable core whereby rotation of said rotoris effected as it is vibrated inwardly and outwardly on said resilient members.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED VSTATES PATENTS 1,209,131 Darrow Dec. 19, 1916 1,234,664 Hesse et al., July 24, 1917 1,256,098 Baer Feb. 13,1918 1,413,915 Horney c Apr. 25, 1922 1,439,554 Jones Dec. 19, 1922 1,504,606 Coleman et a1. Aug. 12, 1924 1,816,102 Water et al. uly 28, 1931 2,189,528 Bender Feb. 6, 1940 2,342,202 Kennelly Feb. 22, 1944 

